Quiz: Howstuffworks

Do You Know Where This River Is Located?

Sameena Mughal

Image: FG Trade / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Rivers play a major role in our lives. Although most of us don't think about it on a regular basis, rivers and streams are the primary suppliers of our drinking water. Around 165 major rivers exist in the world, and they are significant to the humans and animals that live in it.

People make use of rivers for travel, recreation, and sustenance. The Missississippi River famously had steamboats running along with it in the 19th and early 20th centuries. On the Yangtze, tourists take boat cruises that travel around the Yangtze Gorges and take in the tranquil beauty that those structures are known for. Rivers all over the world are the sources for drinking and provide the foundation for successful agriculture.

Some rivers have spiritual significance like the Ganges in Varanasi, India. Many see it as the holiest site for followers of Hinduism. The Whanganui River of New Zealand is so sacred to the Maori people that the government agreed to give it the same rights under the law as people in 2017.

No matter what reason people go to rivers or how they view their importance, rivers are a vital part of the planet. Think about how many you have seen. Then, take a look at the images we have gathered for you. See if your knowledge of geography goes deep like a river! Have fun!

mantaphoto / E+ / Getty Images

Do you know this behemoth body of water which is the largest in the world?

Rio Negro

Amazon

Magdelena

Bermejo

The Amazon River isn't only the longest river in South America. It is the second longest river in the world, clocking in at about 4000 miles. It has no rival in the amount of life it has, with approximately 2,500 diverse species of fish.

benedek / E+ / Getty Images

Can you name this river which starts in the Rocky Mountains and travels through the American southwest?

Escalante

San Juan

Colorado

Paria

The Colorado River, once called the Grand, covers an area reaching 1,450 miles. It makes its way through 11 national parks, seven states, and ends up in Mexico. This waterway is a crucial water supply for many industries and municipalities.

Tu xa Ha Noi / Moment / Getty Images

What's this "blue" body of water called?

Danube

Rhone

Elbe

Main

The Danube River ranks second on the list of the longest rivers in Europe. It starts in the Black Forest Mountains of Germany and stretches into nine other European countries until it empties into the Black Sea.

Image Source / Image Source / Getty Images

Do you recognize this life source of Ancient Egypt?

Ubangi

Orange

Nile

Senegal

Most people think of Egypt when they think of the Nile River, but it actually runs through 11 African countries. Its two tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile, start in Sudan and Ethiopia.

guenterguni / E+ / Getty Images

Do you know the name of the world's deepest river?

Congo

Cuando

Limpopo

Vaal

The Congo River is the second longest river in Africa, behind the Nile. One of its main sights, Livingstone Falls, equals the power of all the falls and rivers put together in the U.S.

by Marc Guitard / Moment / Getty Images

People purify themselves in these waters. Can you name it?

Godavari

Krishna

Kaveri

Ganges

Many of the world's Hindus visit the Ganges River to perform spiritual cleansing. Ironically, that pure act has led to this body of water becoming one of the world's most polluted rivers.

Mariusz Kluzniak / Moment / Getty Images

Can you tell us the name of this well-traveled African river that shares the name of a country?

Volta

Gambia

Chambeshi

Benue

The Gambia River is considered one of Africa's most navigable rivers. Life in the country of Gambia centers around this waterway because it flows practically down the middle of it.

rathyrye / E+ / Getty Images

Do you know this prime fishing spot of the Midwest?

Tennessee

Wabash

Ohio

Allegheny

Although the Ohio River is named after one state, it starts in another: Pennsylvania. This body of water starts in the city of Pittsburgh, where the Allegheny and Monongahela meet and run into Illinois.

alantobey / E+ / Getty Images

Do you recognize this major West African river?

Jubba

Kwango

Mara

Niger

Although the various West African tribes have different names for it, the Niger River was given its best-known name by the Greeks. Some of the 20 tribes who still live near the Niger get their water directly from it.

wsfurlan / E+ / Getty Images

The name of this river is a mouthful. What is it?

Mississippi

Arkansas

Red River of the South

Snake

When the Mississippi River connects with the Missouri River, the pairing makes it a river system measuring 3,902 miles, the longest in North America. The Mississippi is so long that it takes a single droplet of water 90 days to travel down it.

Achim Thomae / Moment / Getty Images

What do you call this European waterway that starts in the Swiss Alps?

Rhine

Douro

Loire

Vistula

The Rhine River is Western Europe's longest river, running through nine countries. It is a river valley with a long history; anthropologists discovered 44,000-year-old Neanderthal fossils there.

zulufriend / E+ / Getty Images

Can you "tag" this Iberian body of water?

Genil

Minho

Tagus

Cinca

Of the five rivers in the Iberian Peninsula, the Tagus is the longest at around 625 miles. It flows to the west, meandering right across Spain and Portugal before it merges with the Atlantic Ocean.

ericfoltz / E+ / Getty Images

Can you tell which "big" southwestern U.S. river this is?

Platte

Rio Grande

Gila

Cumberland

The Rio Grande is the second longest river in the U.S. and boasts some of the most scenic views in the country. At the border of Mexico, travelers can see diverse colors on the buttes, mesas and mountain areas.

zhouyousifang / Moment / Getty Images

Do you know the name of this "Golden" river in China?

Min

Yalong

Han

Yangtze

The Chinese name for the Yangtze River translates to "Long River." The Golden Waterway is literally the longest river in Asia and, along with the Huai River, divides China into northern and southern halves.

dszc / E+ / Getty Images

What is this great stream that runs through Mount Peak?

Gardner

Little Bighorn

Milk

Yellowstone

The Yellowstone River is the only river in the continental United States without a dam, leading some to call it "untamed." The famous explorers Lewis and Clark traveled its waters.

maiteali / E+ / Getty Images

What does the world know this "Great River" in East Africa as?

Rurubu

Zambezi

Bakoy

Maputo

The Zambezi River is the longest of the easterly flowing rivers of Africa. Despite that, it is still underexplored in comparison to the rest of the rivers there. The tourists who do travel white water raft on the highest graded river for the sport.

Boris SV / Moment / Getty Images

Can you name this National River of Russia?

Moselle

Neckar

Volga

Inn

The longest river in Europe, the Volga is also known for its large population of sturgeon fish and the caviar they produce. The harvesting of fish eggs can only happen at certain times of the year as the river freezes for three months during the winter season.

Vyacheslav Argenberg (www.vascoplanet.com) / Moment / Getty Images

Do you know the name of this masculine river in Eurasia?

Don

Vitava

Oka

Mur

The Don River has been a large part of Russian history. Archeologists have found proof of prehistoric settlements, and the warlike Cossacks settled in the area as well. In the '50s, the Volga-Don Ship Canal gave an economic boom to the region.

xenotar / E+ / Getty Images

Can you recognize this long and windy river that's the "mother" of rivers in China?

Songhua

Grand Canal

Salween

Yellow

Part of the Yellow Basin, the Yellow River is important to the Chinese people. Many consider the loopy waterway as part of the origin of Chinese civilization and refer to it as "Mother River."

M.Omair / Moment / Getty Images

What is the name of the longest river in India?

Yamuna

Tapti

Indus

Narmada

The Indus is part of the four Himalayan rivers and the longest river in India. It flows in Pakistan and China before it connects with the Arabian Sea. Another name for it is "Sindhu."

FatCamera / E+ / Getty Images

What is this river in the Pacific Northwest called?

Mobile

Illinois

Columbia

San Joaquin

The Columbia River is mostly within the United States but reaches the British Columbia province of Canada. It has 19 hydro-powered electric dams that supply half the region with its electrical supply.

Instants / E+ / Getty Images

Do you recognize this heavenly Canadian river?

Saint Lawrence

Fraser

Ottawa

Churchill

The Saint Lawrence River is rich in marine life. It's home to beluga whales, bald eagles and ospreys. About 1,700 species of diverse plant life live in this waterway, including a rare species of orchid.

José Eduardo Nucci / Moment / Getty Images

This river in South America shares its name with a country. Which one?

Paraguay

Maroni

Ucayali

Purus

The Paraguay River has been particularly important to the country that shares its name. Since the South American country is landlocked, the river is vital to importing and exporting goods.

Rui Wang / DigitalVision / Getty Images

What name is this gem of China known by?

Xi

Pearl

Liao

Yarlung Tsangpo

The Pearl River is one of the longest rivers in China and considered one of the seven most important rivers in the nation. The Pearl River Delta is becoming known as the jewel in the crown of the Chinese economy.

TangMan Photography / Moment / Getty Images

"London Calling ..." but do you know what to call the river that flows through it?

Pechora

Thames

Havel

Weser

The River Thames has been considered a landmark of London for centuries. More than 200 bridges stretch across this river, including one built by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago. The famous French artist, Claude Monet, painted it more than once.

Michael Cook - Altai World Photography / Moment Open / Getty Images

This colorful river in South Africa is named what?

Sobat

Black Volta

Lomami

Orange

Calling a river "orange" seems odd since that's not the color one would usually associate with water. The Orange River is so named because the Dutch explorers named it after a Dutch royal, William of Orange.

NicolasMcComber / E+ / Getty Images

Do you know the name of this waterway near the City of Light?

Seine

Garonne

Oder

Sava

The Seine River starts near Dijon and merges with the English Channel a bit past Paris. Many French tourists see sights like the Champs-Elysees and Eiffel Tower on boat cruises or water taxis on the Seine.

andersen_oystein / E+ / Getty Images

Can you tell us the name of this roaring river of Mesopotamia?

Tigris

Jordan

Congo

Greater Zab

Judging by the name, Tigris, one might think that the river was named after a tiger. This waterway's name came from an Old Persian word that means "fast one." The city of Baghdad sits on the bank of the Tigris.

dszc / E+ / Getty Images

Do you recognize this New York body of water?

Delaware

Hudson

Allegheny

Canadian

The man who the Hudson River is named after had an unfortunate experience when he explored what is now New York. His numerous and failed attempts to find a trade route to China caused his crew to mutiny. When they put him in a rowboat, he was never heard from again.

By shibu bhattacharjee / Moment Open / Getty Images

Can you name these waters found in the lap of the Himalayas?

Sutlej

Ravi

Koshi

Brahmaputra

The Brahmaputra River in India is named for the son of the god Brahma. It is believed this son was shaped like water, and the sage Shantanu put him in the center of four mountains.

Joel Carillet / E+ / Getty Images

What do you call the other river of Mesopotamia?

Orontes

Euphrates

Murat

Sajur

The Euphrates is longer than the Tigris, the other river of Mesopotamia. The Book of Genesis names it as one of the rivers that came from the Garden of Eden. It is mentioned in other religious texts, too.

Wiki Commons by Svetlana Ivanova

This feminine river flows from Russia with love. Do you know it?

Neva

Amur

Lena

Ob

The longest river in Russia, the Lena is among the longest rivers in the world. The name, Lena, actually comes from a word that means "Large River." It empties into the Arctic and is found solely in Russia.

Rebeca Mello / Moment / Getty Images

Do you know the name of this 3,000-mile river in South America?

Rio de la Plata

Xingu

Parana

Iguazu

The Parana River is only second in size to the mother of all rivers: the Amazon. As it flows into the sea and becomes a delta, it encompasses 8,400 square miles of rainforest, a true jungle.

Dan Dangler - Rochester, NY / Moment Open / Getty Images

This great stream is older than the Appalachian Mountains. What's it called?

Susquehanna

North Canadian

Juniata

Kentucky

Geologists estimate that the Susquehanna River is the oldest of the major rivers of the world, dating back to around 500 million years ago. It is the longest river that flows entirely within the United States.

Ken Welsh / Photodisc / Getty Images

What is the name of this Italian river with the small name?

Brenta

Adige

Tanaro

Po

The longest river in Italy, the Po starts in the mountains and empties into the Adriatic Sea. Although it only stretches about 400 miles, this body of water moves quickly and has around a 5,500-foot descent.

Wiki Commons by ---=XEON=---

Do you know this strong waterway of Mexico?

Nazas

Fuerte

Balsas

Hondo

The Fuerte River is a major river of Mexico. It's enclosed by Miguel Hidalgo Dam to make the state of Sinaloa's biggest reservoir. Along its banks, numerous mango plantations export tropical fruit to the United States.

John White Photos / Moment / Getty Images

Can you recognize this important river Down Under?

Yarra

Barwon

Murray

Warrego

The Murray River is the longest river in Australia, and it is also one of the longest navigable rivers in the world, with only the Amazon and Nile in front of it. The river is an important water source for over a million households and even has its own flag.

Joesboy / E+ / Getty Images

It's been called the "Nation's River." But what is its real name?

Potomac

Chesapeake

Monongahela

Pecos

The Potomac River has been a part of US history since the beginning. The first president, George Washington, built a home on its shores. Centuries later, Bill Clinton named it an American Heritage River.

DavidCallan / E+ / Getty Images

Can you name this primary river of the Roman Empire?

Tiber

Arno

Piave

Oglio

The Tiber River is important in the history of the Roman Empire because it was a freshwater source. It was also used as a trade route, giving Rome access to the Mediterranean Sea, and contributed to the agricultural system thriving year-round.

Photo by Raul Garcia / Moment / Getty Images

Do you recognize this Spanish body of water that's a fisher's delight?

Segura

Tagus

Minho

Ebro

The Ebro River is an important water source and provider of hydroelectricity for Spain. It's also popular with tourists because of its wildlife and its reputation for being one of the best European fishing destinations.

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